1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to the controlled dosing and accuracy in dispensing of liquid materials. More specifically, it is directed to the proper dosing and accuracy in the distribution or application rate of the liquid materials onto surfaces to be treated. The present invention is directed, moreover, to a system and method by which proper dosing and dispensing is effected in a manner that allows feedback to the user relative to the intended application rate of the liquid material.
Dispensing control devices of the type used with a pressurized stream of fluid, such as water provided through a conventional garden hose, pump-up tank sprayer or other delivery means, are widely used in many applications. One example is a spray nozzle attachment for a garden hose which serves also as a dispensing assembly and capping means for a container of fertilizer, weed/pest control, or other highly concentrated lawn or garden treating chemical. Another example of the many applications is a sprayer attachment which controls the sprayed dispensing of liquid material from an air pump-type container.
Each of these dispensing applications and indeed each different liquid material to be diluted and dispensed will require a specific dilution ratio and will also require a specific application rate. That is, the amount of diluted liquid material (at the proper dilution ratio) to be delivered to some area of the surface to be treated. In most instances, the end user is given instruction to mix the liquid material at a rate of xx ounces per gallon of water and then apply yy gallons of water per zz square feet of surface to be treated—for example mix 1.5 ounces of a liquid material to 3 gallons of water and apply this at a rate of 10 gallons per 100 square feet of lawn. For the average user, this is quite complicated to understand and typically they will overdose to be sure they do the job well. However, many of the concentrated liquid materials contain toxins, that when used in excess provide no additional benefit, but are prone to runoff and to percolate into the ground, possibly contaminating wells or water supplies. In the case of the hose-end sprayer apparatus connected to the container of concentrated liquid material, the user needs to do far less math to accomplish the task as the dilution rate is predetermined by the inner fluidic arrangement in the sprayer head. However, the user is still instructed to apply some quantity of diluted liquid material to some quantity of area to be treated. Again, the user is left without any means to know exactly how much of the substance has been utilized as the operation progresses and hence the user tends to over-apply the product. Most users simply keep spraying the diluted liquid material until the container is emptied—thinking more is better.
There exists, therefore, a need for an approach to dispensing a liquid material which provides the user an easy method for applying the correct volume of liquid material to an easy to estimate quantity of area to be treated. In addition, there exists a need for an apparatus to support the method and system, allowing the user a feedback means to achieve the proper dosing rates per a given area to be treated.
2. Prior Art
Closure devices for liquid product containers are known in the art, as are devices for controlling the dispensing of liquid products from containment. The best prior art known to Applicant include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,863,843; 4,244,494; 5,996,700; 4,971,105; 4,527,740; 5,007,588; 4,811,900; 4,508,272; 4,901,923; 5,375,769; 6,471,141; 6,435,773; 5,388,767; 4,142,681; 6,012,650; 5,533,546; 5,881,955; 3,940,069; 3,929,150; 3,763,888; 3,561,680; 4,176,680; 4,883,086; 4,105,044; 4,142,545; 4,154,258; 4,197,872; 4,775,241; 5,799,688; 4,047,541; 5,039,016; 5,100,059; 5,213,265; 5,320,288; 5,372,310; 5,383,603; 6,283,385; 6,378,785; 6,578,776; 4,826,085; 5,303,853; 3,666,150; 5,213,129; 5,129,730; 2,770,501; 5,293,946; 5,085,039; 2,988,139; 4,971,105; 3,863,843; 372,503; and, RE29,405. Such devices fail to provide the unique combination of features and advantages for failsafe closure and controlled dispensing of liquid materials to the degree provided by the present invention.
Numerous concentrated liquid products are now manufactured and sold in a retail environment in ready-to-use packaged containers (including bottles). Many are capped with sprayer type dispensing mechanisms configured for attachment to the end of a hose. Such sprayer type mechanisms serve to dilute the concentrated liquid product as it is dispensed, by an appropriate mixture ratio with the pressurized stream of water emerging from the hose. They serve also to expel the diluted mixture for appropriate application. Examples of uses widely found for this type of storage and dispensing of liquid products include lawn or garden care and weed/pest control, automobile cleaning, structural siding material cleaning, and so on.
These are relatively simple to use, however the application rate is often difficult to calculate and harder to understand depending on the actual flow rates encountered. Variations in water supply pressures result in variations in flow rates, different hose configurations and attachments vary the flow rates, elevation changes will result in a variation in flow rates. Hence, any instruction to a use based on flow rates—(apply 10 gallons of diluted product to 100 square feet of lawn) is nearly impossible for the homeowner to follow. So, homeowners do the next best thing, they guess and apply a bit more to make sure—resulting in over usage of possible harmful chemicals.
Hence, there remains a need for a system and method to allow the user to apply a certain known volume of the chemical to an estimated area of surface to be treated—independent of how much water is used to deliver the chemical onto the surface. Thereby freeing the user to simply deliver the correct volume of chemical (at some flow rate and dilution ratio determined by the available water source and available plumbing) to the estimated given area without the need to understand the flow rate or the time required or to calculate the ratio or total number of gallon delivered. This results in more efficient use of the chemical liquid material, more cost effective use of the product, reliability in results from the use of the liquid material and less chance of over usage and excess runoff polluting the water table and waterways.